Hometown Headlines Radio Edition: Local news without the static.

Hometown Headlines Radio Edition: Local news without the static.

By John DruckenmillerNews
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Hometown Headlines Radio Edition: Local news without the static. episodes

  • Meeting Monday on community response to 'urban camping' ordinance. RaceTrac cancels West Rome plan (for now). Weekend guide. Rants: One more commission highlight; chicken salad wars.

     The we-slept-in late edition of our headlines and rants:

    • Davies Shelter's Ruth and Naomi House hosting community meeting at noon Monday to craft 'plan of action' in response to 'urban camping,' 'panhandling' ordinances. 
    • Business: RaceTrac cancels plans for a 5,500-square-foot store at Ga. 20 and Coker in West Rome but . . 
    • Business: An aerial view as the walls come tumbling down at former Kmart in Rome. Huge sales month for Realtors in Rome/Floyd and Gordon County; good month in Bartow County. 
    • Druck Report: There's no real limit on what we might see in Rome's River District. An interview with planners Artagus Newell and Brice Wood. 
    • More business: Central Plaza is picking up Bussey’s Florist from Broad Street as Riverside Gourmet expands.
    • United Way of Rome & Floyd County adopts new model to 'proactively address the root causes of complex community challenges no one agency can take on alone.' 
    • Weekend! presented by Forum River Center: Tillman Race/Walk; downtown Cartersville concert; outdoors. 
    • Rant: One more 'highlight' from the City Commission. The Chicken Salad wars. Keto smoothies.
      • 10 min
    • Druck Report: There's no real limit on what we might see in Rome's River District. An interview with planners Artagus Newell and Brice Wood.

      It's called the River District, along North Fifth Avenue from Broad Street and sandwiched mostly by Turner McCall Boulevard and Second Avenue on the other side of the Oostanaua. If plans hold up, the River District will be the buzz district as local planners work with property and business owners to turn the area into a shopping and entertainment district.

      Artagus Newell, planning director of Rome Floyd County, and Brice Wood, associate planner, joined Hometown Headlines' John Druckenmiller to discuss changes coming to  the River District just across the Oostanaula from downtown and Broad Street.

      • They talked about the new urban mixed use zoning designation proposed for the district, a necessity that will spur development without some of the red tape reserved for areas in historic districts and such. As Wood pointed out, property owners will be able to maximize use of their land in terms of lot lines and parking.
      • Among the goals for the River District is to "maximize density" as well as increasing foot traffic for merchants.
      • Tie-ins are key to the River District's success, from the expanding trail networks to events at Barron Stadium, the tennis courts, meetings at the Courtyard and families visiting patients at Floyd Medical Center.
      • Some of the pioneers of the redevelopment push across the river were noted, including River City Bank, Barron Stadium and later The Foundry Growler Bar and Courtyard Rome Riverwalk.
      • The latest projects are a restaurant by Kevin Dillmon on West Thursday Street where work is well under way. Likewise coming together is a storefront on Fifth Avenue owned by Ginny and Doc Kibler. Sunflour Community Bakery is now open at 500 Avenue A and MakerVillage was the home to Harbin Clinic Gallery's latest exhibit saluting Charles Wimpee, a late-in-life folk artist.
      • The largest project under consideration is Wayne Robinson's The District adjacent to the Courtyard. Valued at more than $20 million, plans call for retail on the ground floor followed by apartments and then condominiums.
      • Artagus and Brice joined us in the River District -- at the offices of Brand Red Studios, 4 Bale St. off Fifth Avenue in downtown Rome. We thank Todd LaBerge for another round of solid podcast editing.
        • 33 min
      • Rant of the day: Is this anyway to run local government? Plus: An audio edition of our headlines today: County schools deal with data breach; so-so employment news.

        Your audio daily double -- local headlines and our rant of the day:  

        • Floyd County Schools report data breach with former vendor involving up to 6,400 student and staff names, dates, maybe emails on file between 2008 and 2015. Company offering credit monitoring
        • First-time jobless claims up in July across Northwest Georgia. Big jump in jobs vs. last year but a drop compared to June's number. State sets jobs record in July.
        • Health: 'Crush the Crisis' opiod take back is Sept. 7 at Remond; what to know. Saturday: Health Initiative for Men plus Women health fair; Walk With a Doc.  
        • Business: And they're back -- Murphy USA reopens by East Rome Walmart with new store, pumps, entrance/exit system.   
        • Weekend! presented by The Forum River Center: Tillman Race/Walk; downtown Cartersville concert; outdoors.
        • Rant of the day: A year in the life of local government might scare the life out of you. 
          • 10 min
        • Concerns about City Commission's proposed homeless crackdown. Storms leave 1,100 in the dark; slightly cooler today. Rant: Priorities -- discarded litter or discarded people?

           The audio edition of today's headlines and today's rant:

          • Community groups organizing as Rome City Commission considers 'urban camping,' 'panhandling' ordinances. More updates later today. 
          • We the Church buys 19.5 acres off Ga. 101 near Saddle Mountain. The Lighthouse, a nondenominational church, launches Aug. 25.  
          • Bartow sheriff: Deputy fired, arrested with fiance following off-duty disturbance Saturday night caught on video.  
          • Late-night storms trigger power outages; more than 1,000 customers without service.
          • Ware Mechanical Weather Center: Low 90s due today after record-level highs on Torrid Tuesday. Heat index was 109; today, 102
            • 9 min
          • Newscast: Heat index of 108 today; what to know. Reward in arson case a first for Floyd. Dining: Mac 'n cheese and a shrimp boil. Rant: The heat is on to protect our student athletes.

            Please take extra steps today to avoid excessive heat. Our headlines:

            •  Ware Mechanical Weather Alert: Heat index of 108 due today with a high of 99, prompting head advisory from noon until 8 tonight. What to know.  
            • $4,750 reward paid to anonymous source who provided details needed to arrest, sentence local arson suspect; a first in Floyd County.  
            • RN-T: Judge allows state to drop original indictments in school thefts case; allows up to six months to bring new indictments. 
            • Toni Rhinehart named new Finance Director for the city of Rome
            • Dining & Drink:  Mac and cheese now offered at Chick-fil-A. Shrimp boil to help Rome City Brewing kickoff college football season
            • Buzz: Video preview of Saturday's Health Inititative for Men Plus Women. Ribbon cutting today for Redmond's Outpatient Congestive Heart Failure Clinic. 
            • Rant of the Day: The heat is on -- to protect our student athletes from heat stroke. Follow the advice of healthcare professionals, not a cranky old coach.  
              • 9 min
            • Newscast: $2,400 signing bonuses, other incentives being used to fill law enforcement vacancies. Blistering heat today, Tuesday. Business updates. Peaks & Valleys.

              As we welcome the students back to Unity Christian today, these items:

              •   $2,400 hiring bonuses, employee incentives for successful applicants among new tactics area law enforcement is using to fill around two dozen openings. 
              • The new RaceTrac in Adairsville is well under way as the company continues to grow in Northwest Georgia. The nearby Burger King in Adairsville is offering next-day pay for employees. 12-lane bowling alley rising quickly at LakePoint Station in Emerson.
              • Funeral set for Tuesday for Rome man who died following a collision on the Bypass on Thursday afternoon. 
              • Ware Mechanical Weather Alert: Blazing heat gets worse; high of 97 on Tuesday with a heat index of 107 possible.   
              • John McClellan's high school football preview and first prediction of the season as Unity Christian plays Friday night. 
              • Peaks & Valleys: The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia including a huge dance challenge success, commission candidates -- and voters.
                • 9 min
              • East Rome Walmart's refit wraps up. Meet the 'Lindale Institute.' Perdue due at GOP rally. Rant: Conjuring the ghost of Richard Nixon (he's on Twitter!)

                No decaf served here from your local news baristas. Today's headlines include:

                • The East Rome Walmart's $1.5 million retrofit comes to an end; online grocery pickup starts today. The nearby Murphy USA station is due to reopen on Aug. 19.
                • What's behind the 'Lindale Institute' at Pepperell High? David Perdue confirms speech at GOP Rally at Tillman Hangar Saturday. General admission, patron tickets remain for Saturday's Dance Challenge
                • Education: False alarm at Pepperell High on Thursday after a report of a student possibly possessing a firearm. Search finds no weapon. 
                • Weekend! presented by The Forum River Center: Rome Braves at home in season's final weeks. Chieftains' low country boil. Rodeo at the fairgrounds.  Night at the Museum.  
                • Ware Mechanical Weather Center: Hot and humid today with a heat index of 99; highs in the mid-90s starting Sunday.
                • Rant of the Day: Nixon's the One. Remembering some dubious days of our 37th president and what he'd think of today's America, GOP, politics.  
                  • 9 min
                • Harbin Clinic's first practices moving to new campus in Cartersville. Harbin also sponsoring Corky Kell Classic. Floyd adds 'Save my spot.' Peaks & Valleys: Highs, lows of Northwest Georgia.

                  Lots of health and football news today including:

                  •  Harbin Clinic's second campus on Gentilly Boulevard in Cartersville begins welcoming patients Aug. 19.
                  • Harbin Clinic named presenting sponsor of the Corky Kell Classic at Barron Stadium on Aug. 22.  
                  • Weekend! presented by The Forum River Center: Rome Braves at home in season's final weeks. Chieftains' low country boil. Rodeo at the fairgrounds.  Night at the Museum
                  • Health: Floyd Urgent Care offices add 'Save My Spot.' 
                  • Sports: Darlington opens high school scrimmages tonight. Falcons at Dolphins in preseason NFL at 7:30 p.m. 
                  • Peaks & Valleys: Cool way to start school. Families, not empty suits, should have greeted Pence, Air Force 2. 
                    • 9 min
                  • OTR Wheel grows in Northeast Georgia; Greater Community Bank to open Cartersville branch. Some TV time for Dr. Brad Bushnell. Rant: Does media merger trend mean less local news? Only you can decide.

                    Some big news for a few "hometown" businesses so let's get right to it:  

                    • OTR Wheel Engineering part of key industrial campus purchase in Gainesville (Northeast Georgia) for $9 million
                    • Greater Community Bank to open Cartersville office at 2 N. Dixie Ave.  It will be the bank’s fourth office in Floyd, Gordon and Bartow counties.
                    • Buzz: Harbin Clinic's Dr. Brad Bushnell is featured on WSB highlighting a 'patch' used in rotator cuff surgery... Rome Noon Optimist Club adds 100th member as organization celebrates centennial year...  Puryear Detachment, Marine Corps League meets Saturday... Library offers silent auction
                    • Education: Cartersville, Bartow County students return today
                    • Podcasts: Former Roman Harry Musselwhite (and a colleague) join the podcast world with 'The Dungball Express.'  Plus please join us for our Druck Report interviews.
                    • Rant of the Day: Megamerger of two newspaper groups incites fears of less local news. Only you can decide if that's true.
                      • 9 min
                    • Newscast: Rockmart quadruple murder in January listed among nation's mass shootings. Pizza War in East Rome? DeSoto celebrates. Rant: Dubious distinction for Polk County -- again.

                       Now available on SoundCloud podcast offerings, there are your broadcast headlines so far today:

                      • In a case of too close to home, the Rockmart quadruple murder in January is listed among '21 mass shootings in the United States in 2019' by WSB radio and others.
                      • Business: Little Caesar's in East Rome picking up speed, to complete with Domino's barely a block away. Redmond Urgent care changes hours at both sites. OMNOVA Solutions donates to Georgia Northwestern. 
                      • Buzz: Happy 90th, DeSoto! Good turnout last night. Roman Rumble returns Sept. 14 for two-legged and four-legged competitors. Blood drive today and Friday  in response to recent shootings (West Rome Walmart today, East Rome Friday). Downtown Development board meets Thursday. 
                      • Today's rant: Yet another dreadful distinction for Polk County with one other common denominator. But will we do anything about it?
                        • 9 min

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